


Ready, Aim, Fire

by lemonadeandrazorblades



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-03-11
Updated: 2014-03-14
Packaged: 2018-01-15 10:18:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,390
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1301314
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lemonadeandrazorblades/pseuds/lemonadeandrazorblades
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After being forced to watch Scott die at the hand of Deucalion and being powerless to stop it, Allison is on the hunt for revenge. Allison, Derek and the others prepare for the fight of their lives, and they will stop at nothing to make sure Deucalion and his pack pay for what they have done. But when the dead start to come back to life they soon realize that they have bigger problems to face than they had originally thought.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, so with this being the first fic that I've posted on here if you read this I would really appreciate it if you could leave any feedback you may have for me. It would really help me out and I'd love to hear what you all thought and whether you'd like for me to continue with it.
> 
> Thanks!

Allison entered the bar as inconspicuously as she could, the smell of ale, sweat and stale smoke hitting her as soon as she pushed through the door. Sure enough, even though smoking had been banned in public places for some time now, there were several older biker types with cigarettes hanging between their fingers scattered around the place. Her nose adjusted to the smell quickly, within a couple of minutes she didn't notice it at all. She wondered how Scott would have coped with it, given that his nose was about a hundred times more sensitive than the average human nose. The familiar ache took it's rightful place back in her chest, heavy and crippling; it never really went away, was just easier to bare sometimes. The pain was a part of her, she had long ago accepted that it would never leave. She felt so alone all of a sudden in this disgusting bar in downtown Sacramento. She felt alone wherever she went these days. She wasn't of course, she still had Lydia. She still had Stiles and Derek, those two being part and parcel these days. But hanging out with them; Lydia & Jackson, Stiles & Derek, made her feel so completely alone. She realized how stupid she was being just sitting here feeling sorry for herself. She nodded at the bartender, signalling for him to come over.

 "What can I get ya?" An aging gentleman who's skin was a mess of cheap tattoos, mottled with age, asked gruffly. She had told herself she wouldn't have anything to drink, that she needed to keep a clear head. But with the memory of Scott causing a lump to form at the back of her throat she changed her mind. Just one to take the edge off.

 "Whiskey, on the rocks," she answered, trying to ignore the fact that everyone in this place was _definitely_ staring at her. Or leering was maybe more of an appropriate term. She could feel their eyes burning into every inch of her skin, they wanted her to know that she wasn't welcome here. She kept her eyes forward, not wanting to cause any trouble. Not yet, anyway. The entire place had a dangerous air, like a full scale riot could start in a split second. It felt like a time bomb just waiting to go off. All of a sudden she wanted nothing more than to run.

  _This is a terrible idea. Leave, just get out of here right now_ , she thought, instantly chastising herself for allowing herself to be so easily intimidated. This was why she had joined the 'family business' in the first place, she was tired of feeling helpless. She didn't want to be the damsel in distress, always waiting to be rescued, she wanted to be the powerful one. She wanted to be the one doing the rescuing. So, after years of refusing her dad's attempts at getting her involved, she had eventually accepted his offer. This was who she was. An Argent. A hunter. It was her love for Scott that had made her refuse, and it was that same love that eventually made her accept. She swallowed down the tears she felt threatening in her eyes. The barman brought her drink over, which she paid for and then threw back quickly. She winced as it went down, fighting back the urge to vomit, instead relishing the slow burn that trickled slowly from her throat to her stomach. She ordered one more, her nerves still not completely settled. She threw back that drink too, this one going down much easier. She let the buzz hit her, faint but enough to make her feel normal again. A little dutch courage wouldn't hurt, at least she hoped so.

   ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Stiles watched as Derek paced up and down, feeling a little concerned for his hardwood floor, almost positive that if he kept it up there would be a delve where he'd been. And then instantly he felt like an asshole for worrying about something so trivial when one of his best friend's lives was in danger.

 "Derek, come on. I'm sure she's just gone out for a run or something," he tried to reassure him, knowing that he wasn't doing any good but he wasn't able to stop himself. He was mainly trying to convince himself that Allison would not be so stupid as to go on a manhunt alone, although he knew that was almost certainly the case.

 "I don't think you believe that anymore than I do," Derek replied, chewing on his fingernails as he continued to pace.

"Look, can you at least sit down? You're making me anxious," Stiles asked, rubbing at his temples.

 "You should be anxious, you should be pacing a fucking hole in this goddamn floor," Derek snapped, running his hand through his usually perfectly styled hair. Right now it stuck up in multiple directions due to his habit of ruffling it when he was nervous. Stiles tried to ignore how adorable it made him look, given the current circumstances, and failed miserably.

 "I don't need to, you're doing a pretty good job of it all on your own," he retorted. Derek stopped moving, looking down at his feet as though he was completely unaware of what he was doing. "Now sit, cos me having to have my floor re-polished is not going to help anyone." He grabbed Derek's arm, softly pulling him down to sit by his side.

 "I'm scared, Stiles," Derek admitted, it made Stiles's chest hurt to see him look so helpless. Derek was a man of action and he knew it killed him to just sit here unable to do anything.

 "I know you are, but Allison isn't stupid. She'll be fine, she's trained for years to deal with assholes like them," Stiles said, putting an arm around Derek and clasping his shoulder. He felt some of the tension relieve from Derek's posture.

 "What do we do?" Derek asked, his voice cracking midway through the sentence. Stiles winced as he saw the tears glimmering in the corners of Derek's pale green eyes.

"There's nothing much we can do. We just have to pray that Allison is as clever as she obviously thinks she is," Stiles said, perhaps a little too bitterly. He hated that Allison was putting them through this and he was damn well going to make sure she knew about it when she came back. _If she comes back_ , a little voice at the back of his head piped up.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  "Rough night?" A male voice said from behind Allison, she bit back the urge to yelp as she spun around quickly. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." He was tall, and she suspected that if he removed his battered leather jacket, pretty ripped too. His hazel eyes were warm and inviting and sandy stubble lined his perfectly defined jawline. There was no denying he was majorly attractive.

 "No, it's fine. You didn't scare me," she said evenly, glad that he couldn't hear the furious pounding of her heart.

"You sure? You've gone white as a sheet," he answered with a lazy grin that made his high cheekbones even more prominent. She supposed that grin had gotten him through a lot of doors and into a lot of beds. Just looking at him she could tell he was a total heart breaker. "I'm Alec." He offered his hand out to her.

 "Al- Lydia," she answered, something telling her she shouldn't give him her real name. Besides she didn't suppose her best friend would mind her borrowing her name.

"So, Lydia. Can I buy you a drink, an apology for 'not scaring' you?" He teased, she smiled and accepted his offer. She liked him, and a little company while she kept watch wouldn't hurt. She couldn't help wondering what the hell a nice guy like him was doing in a dive like this, though she resisted asking him, afraid it would come off as some sort of cheesy line, not wanting to lead him on. It wasn't that she wasn't interested in _him_ , it was that she wasn't interested in _anyone_. She had made a promise to herself to never love again, the pain of the fallout too much of a high price. And from her experience, sooner or later, there was always a fallout. It didn't matter how invincible your love might seem, you just didn't know what was around the corner. If things were different she guessed she would have liked to go out with Alec. Mind, if things were different she wouldn't have to think about dating anyone else, she'd still have Scott. They were meant to be forever, she still wore the engagement ring he'd given her two summers ago on a chain around her neck.

 "So what brings you to Sacramento?" Alec asked.

"Visiting friends," she lied, it wasn't like she could tell him the truth. He'd have her locked up before she could snap her fingers. She carried on making pleasant small talk with Alec, enjoying his company. But her heart wasn't in it, her head elsewhere. Her fingers reached for the ring that suddenly seemed so heavy hanging at the hollow of her neck almost without thinking, and she was lost in memories again.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  It was a pleasant summer evening, the moon burning high in the clear sapphire sky. She sat there on the cliff, huddled close to Scott's side. She remembered thinking that this was it, she'd found what some people spent their whole lives searching for. True happiness. Scott's phone vibrated against Allison's side and he reached into his pocket, hiding the screen from her.

 "I've gotta take this, I'll be back in a sec," he said as he jumped to his feet and jogged a little way away from her, just far enough away that he was out of earshot. She wasn't sure why but it rattled her, he never hid anything from her. Something was wrong. And who was calling him that he couldn't talk to in front of her anyway? He was back within a couple of minutes, though he didn't sit back down.

"Who was that?" She asked as neutrally as she could.

 "Oh, just Derek. Ready to go?" He answered, he looked slightly more tense than he had two minutes ago.

"Is everything okay?" She asked, suddenly feeling anxious.

 "Yeah, everything's fine. Shall we get going?" He asked, fidgeting a little. Something didn't seem right, Derek didn't call this late unless something was wrong. And he was acting really weird, considering how relaxed he was before the call. What was he hiding?

"Yeah, sure," she got to her feet, climbing in her car. She went to put the keys in the ignition but stopped herself. "What was that call about Scott?"

 "Nothing, Derek just wanted to check in was all," he shrugged.

"But Derek doesn't just check in unless he's expecting something bad to happen," she pressed further.

 "Maybe he's just feeling lonely. Are we leaving now?" She hesitated a moment longer before starting up the car, sighing in defeat. It wasn't that she suspected he was cheating, nothing that ordinary. She only wished it was that simple, but it never was when you were dating a werewolf. She was worried that something might be really wrong, like fatally wrong. She dismissed it, surely if that were the case he'd tell her, wouldn't he? Of course he would. They drove to his house in silence, she leaned in to kiss him goodbye. He pulled away, she tried to not let the rejection get to her but it did.

 "Come on," he beckoned, jumping out of the car. She looked at him with a confused look on her face, he chuckled and rolled his eyes. "Mom got called into work, she won't be home until the morning. It's fine, come on." He headed inside and Allison followed shortly after. She gasped when she walked through the door, the way lit by tons of candles, rose petals acting as a makeshift red carpet. She started to follow the path, laughing.

 "Scott?" She called out, he was nowhere in sight. "Scott, where are you?"

 The path of candles lead outside. Instead of candles fairy lights hung from the trees, casting an almost magical glow over the garden. She noticed for the first time the music playing softly from back inside the house. She heard footsteps behind her and spun around quickly to see Scott stood there grinning.

 "What is all this?" She asked, laughing nervously.

"I wanted it to be perfect," he answered, she furrowed her dark eyebrows in confusion.

 "Wanted what to be perfect?" She asked, giggling nervously. Then he got down on one knee, Allison's eyes widened in shock.

"Allison, if these past few years have taught me anything, it's that love really does conquer all," she felt her smile widening, he spoke as though he'd been trying to memorize his speech for weeks. She could have just cut him off there, she'd known for years that if this moment ever came around her answer would be yes. But he'd put a lot of effort into all of this so she decided to let him finish. "And I know it's not been easy, but nothing worth having ever is. But, I promise to love and protect you through anything life throws our way, because you're worth all of it. So Allison Argent, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

 "Yes," she managed to choke out through the tears, holding out her shaking left hand for him to place the ring on. He stood up and she grabbed his face between her hands, crushing her lips hard against his. "I love you." She said breathlessly. "How did you do all of this?!"

 "With a little help from my friends," he answered nonchalantly. She suddenly felt like such an asshole for getting irritated earlier.

"So that call-"

 "Was Derek confirming that everything was in place," he finished for her, his crooked boyish grin playing on his lips.

"You're the greatest boyfriend ever," she said, overwhelmed.

 "Fiance," He corrected her, making her giggle.

"And you'll be the best husband ever," she added, pulling him in for another kiss.

 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 She was brought back to the present abruptly, her gut telling her that something was wrong. And she quickly found the source. Aiden. Allison's blood boiled at even the sight of him. He wasn't her main target but was sure as hell one of them, and she intended to make him pay just like the rest of them. She excused herself from Alec, who in return looked a little dismayed.

 "Where are you going?" He called after her as she headed to the door quickly.

"I really have to go," was all she said as she sneaked out of the bar. Her heart pounded furiously in her chest, from adrenaline or fear she wasn't sure; maybe even both. She pulled out her crossbow from where she had carefully stashed it earlier before she had entered the bar. She hid in the shadows, waiting for her moment to strike. He had to come out sometime, she'd wait all night if she had to. Her phone buzzed in her pocket, she jumped a little, fumbling in her pocket for it. Stiles' number flashed up on the screen. She winced, this was not going to go well. It had taken them a lot less time than she'd figured it would for them to noticed she'd gone AWOL.

 "Stiles, I'm kind of busy right now. Can I call you back?" she whispered, although it would make no difference to any werewolves that might be listening in.

"No, you can't. Where the hell are you?" She wasn't used to hearing Stiles sound so firm with her.

 "Honestly, Stiles. I can't talk right now," she could hear a struggle in the background, Derek and Stiles bickering in true Derek and Stiles fashion.

"No, it's my phone!"

 "Stiles, hand me the damn phone right now."

"No, get off. Stop.. Aaah!"

 Even in the current situation Allison could appreciate the humor in this.

"Allison, you better not be where I think you are. Are you fucking crazy!?" Derek growled into the phone.

 "That depends on where you think I am," she responded, instantly regretting it. Now was not the time for sarky remarks.

"Allison, _please_ , come back. Just get in your car and come home," Derek pleaded.

 "Allison, you can't do this alone. Just come back," Stiles' panicked voice came down the receiver. And that was when she saw him step out of the bar.

"I've got to go," She whispered, ignoring their protests as she hung up the phone.

 "Allison, don't you dare hang up that phone! Allison!" She clicked it off, this time turning it off all together. No more distractions. She raised her bow high, making sure to get him in the right place. Usually when she held a bow she felt like a different person, not Allison. A hunter, a lioness. She didn't need to know anything about her prey, only that they were monsters who needed to be stopped before they took anymore innocent lives. She'd killed them all without a second thought. But it felt different this time, more personal than it ever had. _That's because it is personal_ , her head told her, _they made it personal_. This time she wanted names, she wanted to know everything about them. She wanted to know every intimate detail to make them easier to destroy. Aiden was like a son to Deucalion, she knew that. So maybe she could get some information out of him before she killed him, although she was going to kill him either way. She prepared the arrow, sucking in a deep breath. Then she felt a large hand grab her from behind, placed firmly over her mouth. The other arm reaching around to trap her arms by her sides as she was pulled roughly away.

 "Don't scream," a distinctly male voice hissed in her ear, the warm breath sending shivers down her spine. Suddenly all she could think about, as she was dragged off into the back of the black SUV was how she'd let everyone down. Her father, Lydia, Derek, Stiles, Scott.

 _You let them all down a long time ago_ , the ever snarky voice in her head sniped. _When you sat there like a helpless little girl and did nothing. As you sat there and watched Scott die._


	2. Chapter Two

Allison was flung into the back of the car as her captor jumped in the front, locked the doors and started the engine. She sat there defiantly, not showing any outward signs of the outright terror that was roiling inside of her. _If I'm going to die, I'm going to die with pride_ , she told herself. How stupid could she be? Deucalion was The Alpha, and she thought that he wouldn't know she was coming for him? He probably knew before she did, it was probably his plan all along; lure her out here on her own where she would be an easy target. They pulled onto a well lit street and that was when she got a proper look at him, her heart sinking.

 "Alec!? What the fuck!?" The words fell out of her mouth before she even had time to think about them. After all the years of training how had she missed the fact that he was a werewolf? Now that she realized it he couldn't be anything but.

 "I'm saving your ass, _Lydia,_ " he muttered, keeping his eyes forward. He said her 'name' bitterly, an eyebrow raised. Clearly he was aware who she really was.

"I don't need saving!" She yelled furiously. "I could have had him, I nearly did until you ruined it!"

 "You did not, you really think he was there alone?" Alec scoffed, almost as though he thought she was just some little girl trying to play with the grown ups.

"How did you even know what I was doing?" She asked, choosing to ignore his patronizing tone.

 "I'm a friend of Derek's," Of course. That perfectly groomed bad boy look should have told her that straight away. That son of a bitch.

"You know I could just kill you right now and go back," she pointed out, her tone dangerously even.

 "But you wont," he sounded so sure of that fact that Allison almost wanted to kill him just to prove a point. She had no intentions of doing so but he didn't need to know that.

"Okay, so what's the big plan?" She asked, keeping her tone on just the right side of condescending.

 "You know, you're being awfully snarky for someone who's heart sounds like it's about to beat it's way out of her chest," Alec commented, a cocky grin playing on his perfect lips.

 "Where are you taking me?" Allison asked, not taking his bait.

"To my place, to wait for Derek and the others."

 "The others?"

"What, you thought that you and Derek were just going to be able to go in there with good on your side and kill them all? No, you're going to need a lot more than that. This is more than just revenge for killing Scott, this has been a long time coming. It's going to be an all out war," Alec's tone was grave.

 "Good," was all she said in response. If a war was what they wanted then that's what they were gonna get. Alec just grunted quietly, shooting her a look in the rear-view mirror. The look seemed to say 'Stupid girl, you have no idea what you're saying.' The rest of the drive was silent.

 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 "So what, Derek sent you to spy on me?" Allison asked, stood in the doorway with her arms folded.

"Something like that," Alec replied without looking at her. His gaze stayed fixed on the window, awaiting Derek's arrival.

 "How did he even know where I was?" She asked, sitting on the arm of the couch.

"He didn't exactly, he called all of his friends in the California area to keep an eye out for you. I just followed that stench of vengeance and heartbreak and it led me right to you," Alec stated.

 "There is not a stench," Allison responded, rolling her eyes.

"Oh believe me, there's a stench," he drawled. "And if I noticed it Derek definitely noticed it, he just obviously trusted you to not do anything stupid."

"Yeah, well that's not my fault," Allison said, clenching and unclenching her jaw in frustration.

 "Are you really that selfish?" Alec spat, turning to face her now.

" _Selfish!?_ " Allison hissed, the word hitting her like a blow.

 "You can't honestly believe that what you're doing here isn't selfish," Alec hissed back, his expression one of disbelief.

"The love of my life was murdered right in front of me. They made me watch, Alec," she said bitterly. Just remembering it felt like her chest was being ripped open and stitched back up only to be ripped wide open again.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 Scott and Deucalion were at a stand off, neither one of them wanting to make a sudden move. Allison screamed until her throat was raw, screamed at Scott to just get out of there. She wasn't worth this, wasn't worth his life. She twisted her arms, wrists and hands in ways that shouldn't be possible trying to break free from the ropes. _Come on Allison, you've practiced this a thousand times. Just get your hands free_. Her concentration was broken as she heard a bloodcurdling cry, her head shot up; her heart in her throat. There was Scott on the floor, Deucalion crouched over him. She could see Scott was badly hurt, she saw that he was putting every ounce of effort into trying to get back onto his feet to no avail.

 "Scott!" Allison screamed, tears streaming down her face. She struggled furiously against her bindings, the skin turning angry and raw. She ignored the pain, it was unimportant. The only thing that mattered was getting free and helping Scott.

 "Funny how tables turn," she heard Deucalion say, his proud voice bouncing to her in the abandoned warehouse. "I mean, we could have just killed _her_." He said the last word like it left a bad taste in his mouth.

 "No, you leave her out of this," Scott demanded, the pain in his voice making her try harder to break free.

"Oh, don't worry about that. You see, I believe in letting the punishment fit the crime. She killed one of my pack. Now she'll watch you die."

 "No!" Allison wailed, high and piercing, as she watched Deucalion's clawed fingers strike down against Scott's torso. She could hear Scott gasping for breath as Deucalion just looked Allison dead in the eyes and chuckled menacingly before walking tall out of the building.

"Scott! Scott, please!" She cried, she was pretty sure she felt her wrist pull out of it's socket as she managed to pull free. She ran straight for Scott, but even then she knew it was in vain. She fell to her knees, cradling Scott's head in her lap. "Just hold on Scott, the others are on their way. Just stay with me we're gonna get you help okay?" The words came out fast and panicked, as Scott's eyes fluttered open weakly. She smiled though it felt like more of a grimace, stroking down the side of his face and kissing him. "You're going to be okay, I promise." She looked at the wound, the blood already a black mess as his body tried to heal. She took off her jacket, pressing it hard against the wound to try and stem the blood flow. That's all she had to do, just keep him alive while help arrived. Scott turned gray at the pressure, his face contorting in pain. "I'm sorry." she whispered, hating to see him in such a way.

 "I love you," Scott croaked, his eye lids heavy.

"I love you too and that's why we're going to make it through this. Love conquers all, remember? Remember when you said that to me that night?" He smiled weakly at the memory, his eyes flicking to the engagement ring, closing as though he was picturing the night in his mind's eye. And just like that he was gone. "Scott? Scott, open your eyes. Please baby, wake up." Allison knew it was too late, but she couldn't help hoping that maybe if she begged enough it would work. Gut wrenching sobs tore through her body as the weight of grief hit her, she huddled Scott's body closer to hers, cradling him in her arms as she cried enough that she started to wonder how her body was even capable of producing so many tears. All she could think about was the glee Deucalion had shown after he'd delivered that fatal blow, laughing right in her face. Rage and grief battled inside her as she hugged Scott close to her body. She stayed that way until Derek turned up, forcing his body from her arms.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  "Have you ever had that happen to you? He died in my arms and all I could think the entire time was how it was all my fault, how if I'd just been stronger he'd still be with us now. Do you have any idea how that feels?" Allison spat, hot tears making tracks down her face. Alec swallowed hard, his expression unreadable.

 "I understand your pain, but you weren't the only one affected that night," Alec replied, his tone was sympathetic but it still had an edge to it. "Scott was the closest thing Derek had to family, the closest thing Stiles had to a brother. Did you ever stop to think how all of this has affected them?"

 "Of course I did," Allison said, she hated how his words cut through her like the sharpest knife.

"Bullshit," Alec scoffed, looking her dead in the eyes. "If you had then you wouldn't be here right now. Don't you think Derek and Stiles have both lost enough? Did you even think for one second what it would do to them if they were to lose you too?" Allison just sat there staring at Alec, she didn't have an answer. She couldn't answer him because she knew he was right. They'd both known so much hurt and loss in their lives, and here she was on what was surely a suicide mission to ease her own heartache. She suddenly thought of something Lydia had told her years ago, something Stiles had said to her; Death doesn't happen to you, it happens to everyone around you. And she didn't think a truer word had ever been spoken. When you die that's it, you're gone. Well, depending on which belief system was actually right, or whatever comes after. But everyone who's life you'd touched, all those people had to deal with that for the rest of their lives. Wondering what would you be doing right now if they were still here? What would they think of that? What would they say about that? It might get easier but you never forget, they're always there. Your soul suddenly seemed that little bit heavier, almost as if you were literally carrying a piece of them in your heart. "Exactly. Typical Argent," Alec almost snarled.

 "And what the hell is that supposed to mean!?" She didn't even know this guy a few hours ago and he suddenly thought he could talk about her family like that?

"Too headstrong for your own good. It's never served any of you well," she knew what he was insinuating and her blood boiled.

 "You're such an asshole," Allison mumbled, tears in her eyes. How dare he speak about her mother and aunt in that way?

"Truth hurts," he retorted, an eyebrow raised. He was suddenly distracted by something Allison was clearly too human to hear. She could see the sort of blank concentration on his face as he listened.

 "What is it?" She asked, straining her ears but hearing nothing.

"Don't worry about it, it's nothing," Alec answered, relaxing his posture. "Wait here, don't move."

 "I thought you said it was nothing," Allison challenged, eying him carefully.

"It is nothing, just stay put," he said, his tone firm. He hesitated for a second, unsure of whether he could trust her. She didn't blame him, she didn't trust herself.

 "Look if you're in some kind of trouble I'm coming with you," she said, getting to her feet.

"No. Allison, please. I'm not in any kind of danger, but I can't promise you wouldn't be if they saw you," he asked, his eyes pleading.

 "I'm sorry, what does that mean? Who's they?"

"Look, not all werewolves are as... tolerant as the ones that you know. Whether you're with us or not, you're a hunter. That doesn't tend to bode well with our kind," he explained, he started to get antsy. She backed down just a little. "Just promise me you won't try anything stupid. I'll get rid of them."

 "Fine," she said quietly, her eyes watching the floor.

"Look me in the eye, promise me," his tone was stern.

 "How do you know you can take my word?"

"Allison. For Christ's sake, here I am risking my own ass to save yours and you can't even extend me the gratitude of staying put while I do it?" He almost shouted, his brows knitting together in frustration.

 "Fine," she snapped, straightening up and looking him in the eye. "I promise."

"You know what? Do what you want. I'm doing this for Derek, not you. Don't expect me to save you if you run and they see you," she could see in his eyes, those hazel eyes flecked with gold that just a few hours ago had seemed so warm and welcoming, that he meant every word.

 "I said I'd stay put didn't I?" Her voice sounded so small, she cleared her throat.

"But like you said, what exactly is your word worth?" He didn't stick around for the answer, just slammed the door after him as he left. She recoiled as though she'd been slapped as she registered the look in Alec's eyes as he'd left. He'd looked like he hated her, even after just a few short hours of her company. And she didn't blame him, she hated who she had become. _What are you doing?_ She asked herself. _Do you think Scott would be happy with the person you are now?_ Tears sprung to her eyes, no he wouldn't. She took a few deep breaths to collect herself and then walked over to the window.

  She saw Alec stood in the alley talking to three shady looking characters. Whoever they were they didn't look like they were exactly friends with him. She stood and watched as one of them, huge and very angry looking, got right in Alec's face; she saw his eyes flash red. Her heart started to race, just because Alec wasn't exactly fond of her didn't mean she wanted to see him hurt. One of the big guy's henchmen cocked his head to the side inquisitively, his eyes flicking towards her. She gasped, getting down on the floor quickly. She covered her mouth and nose with a shaking hand to muffle the sound of her frantic breathing. Because she knew those guys in the alley, knew them all too well. In fact one of them she had encountered just a few hours ago. Aiden and Ethan. It was then that she registered who the big guy was, bile rising in her throat. Ennis. But how was that possible? Deaton had told them how he'd watched Deucalion crush his skull like it was a hollowed out melon. How the hell could you come back from something like that?

 She sneaked over to the darkest corner of the room, peering quickly and cautiously out of the window. She didn't dare to stay there for longer than a couple of seconds but it was long enough to confirm her fear, that was definitely Ennis, in all his mountainous form. Once she had gotten over the initial shock questions flooded into her mind. First off, who had brought Ennis back? Surely it hadn't been Deucalion considering he had been the one to eliminate him in the first place. That meant there was someone out there, someone equally if not more terrifyingly powerful than Deucalion. Why had they brought him back? Because he had sure as hell been resurrected, you couldn't exactly be nursed back to full health from a crushed skull. But what did they need with Ennis? They had to have something pretty bad in store to go as far as to resurrect someone from the dead. It's not as though there weren't other werewolves they could have chosen, but Ennis was strong; ridiculously so. She'd bet her bottom dollar that Deucalion didn't know anything about Ennis's revival, so what were the twins doing here with him? And what did Alec have to do with all of this, he wasn't exactly shocked upon their arrival; scared maybe, but definitely not surprised. But just how deep did his involvement in all of this go? Deep enough that she should be worried about her's and the other's safety? She looked up at the clock hanging above the window, he'd been gone a pretty long time, almost half an hour. She took out her phone and dialed Derek's number. Stiles picked up.

 "Oh, now you can remember our numbers?" He said sarcily upon answering.

"Now isn't the best time to have this conversation, Stiles. Can you put Derek on the phone please?" She tried her best not to sound as anxious as she felt.

 "He's driving, can't it wait til we get there?" He answered, Allison risked a glance out of the window to check that Alec was still out there.

"Not really. Tell him to pull over," She instructed, pacing around the dim lounge. She could hear a muffled conversation as Stiles placed his hand over the mouthpiece.

 "Tell her it'll have to wait," she heard Derek say faintly.

"She said it can't," came Stiles's reply.

 "I can't exactly just pull over right now. You talk to her," she could hear the frustration in Derek's voice.

"Stiles, I don't have much time. Just pass him the phone, it's kind of important," she said loudly, biting her lower lip.

 "Now do you mean important or life threatening?" That had got his attention, she could hear the tension in his tone.

"Important. Possibly life threatening," Allison admitted.

 "Allison are you o-" Stiles started, his words shaky.

"-Yes, I'm fine," she cut him off "Please Stiles." She heard a sigh of frustration as Derek took the phone.

 "What's wrong?" Derek asked, skipping the pleasantries.

"I- I'm not sure. I was hoping you might be able to shed a little light on it, cos right now I'm freaking out a little," she replied with a nervous giggle.

 "What happened?" He asked stonily. She gulped and took a deep breath before speaking.

"Ennis is outside." The line went silent for a moment.

 "Ennis is dead," Derek spoke, his words so sure.

"Then could you maybe explain how he's stood outside of the apartment block right now chatting with Alec?" Allison asked, her heart speeding up. She had hoped deep down that Derek knew something about it, maybe even had something to do with it.

 "He's what?" She could hear the skepticism in his tone.

"Derek, I swear to you. Alec is outside right now talking to Ennis, Aiden and Ethan," Derek blew out a long breath on the other end of the phone.

 "You're sure?" He asked, his tone still uncertain.

"I'm 100% positive, Derek. He's out there right now. What do I do?"

 "Nothing. Don't even mention it, just act like you don't know anything until I get there. I'll think of something," He assured her, his stable tone helping to calm her racing heart. "You'll be fine, Allison, I promise. Just don't do anything stupid, okay? Promise me."

 "Okay, I promise," She answered, and she meant it. It was one thing making promises you weren't sure you intended to keep to almost complete strangers, it was another thing entirely making a promise to someone you cared about. She heard footsteps coming down the hall, her heart faltered. "I have to go," she whispered.

 "What, are you okay?" Derek asked, his voice taking on the protective Alpha tone.

"Yes," she answered before hanging up and shoving her phone quickly in her pocket. The door opened and Alec entered, stony faced. "I was beginning to wonder if you were coming back." She said trying to sound lighthearted but even she heard how false it came out, she winced mentally.

"Is everything okay?" He asked, his brow furrowed inquisitively. This was what she hated about being around werewolves, they didn't miss a trick.

 "Yeah, everything's fine," she said, aiming for a reassuring smile.

"You just seem a little... anxious," he noted, eying her carefully. Allison's heart stuttered with the dangerous glint in Alec's eyes.

 "Wouldn't you be anxious, given the circumstances?" She answered, trying not to take too long to respond so that he hopefully wouldn't think that something was off. He stared at her blankly for a couple of seconds, before taking a deep breath; exhaling loudly.

 "Well you're the one who put yourself in this situation, were you honestly expecting anything different?" She was getting really tired of his condescending tone, the irritation making her blood boil white hot. He clearly thought that he had some kind of authority over her and he could sure as hell get that idea out of his head.

 "You know what? Fuck you, Alec," she yelled, secretly enjoying the look of shock that crossed his face.

"Excuse me?" He responded, an eyebrow raised as he folded his arms and leaned against the wall.

 "I've had enough of this!" She cried out, staring him down. "I've had enough of the way that since we met you have done nothing but patronize and antagonize me! I don't want to be here anymore than you clearly want me here, in fact I probably want to be here slightly less. And yes I screwed up and what, you're Mr. Perfect? No, I didn't think so. So how about you cut the crap and stop acting like you're white as fucking snow. Unfortunately it would appear that we're going to have to work together and it would make it a hell of a lot easier if we weren't jumping down each other's throats," Alec wore an expression that was somewhere between agitation and disbelief.

 "Are you finished?" He asked, walking over to one of the cracked oxblood colored leather armchairs and sitting down.

"Are you?" She asked pointedly. They stared at each other coldly until eventually Alec relented, much to Allison's delight.

 "Alright, fair enough. From now on I'll try my hardest to be nice," he said. Allison grinned, perhaps a little smugly.

"Okay. Thank you," she responded, taking a seat. Alec watched her expectantly, she looked at him confused.

 "Didn't you want to say something too?" He coaxed.

"Fine, and I promise to stop being such a brat," she sighed, fighting the urge to roll her eyes.

 "That's putting it mildly," he mumbled, Allison shot him a look.

"What did we _just_ say?" She chastised him.

 "Fine, fine. I'm sorry," he sighed, the little grin he was trying to hide contradicting his words. She let it slide, she had a feeling that if she didn't this could go on forever. He stood up suddenly, his face blank as he listened again to something going on outside.

 "What's wrong?" Allison asked, getting to her feet.

"Nothing, Derek's here," he answered, walking to the door. Allison's heart skipped and she sucked in a deep breath. "Could you maybe try to be a little less nervous? It's making me uncomfortable." Alec asked, turning back towards her.

 "No one's forcing you to listen to my heartbeat," she pointed out, thinking she had more than enough reasons to be nervous right now. Alec didn't answer, just opened the door and stepped out into the hallway. Allison just sat quietly, silently preparing for the onslaught of disapproving looks and lectures that were about to come her way.


	3. Chapter Three

"I'm not going to go on and on about it because you're not twelve, I'm not your father and I think you know just how stupid this was. At least I hope you do. But I will say one thing, pull a stunt like this again and I will kill you myself," Derek threatened, his expression one of anguish. Usually she'd tease him, _you could never bring yourself to kill me,_ and give him a sweet smile; he'd laugh and give her that look and admit she was right and everything would be normal again. But with the look on his face right now she wasn't so sure he wouldn't, so she stayed quiet and nodded.

 "I'm sorry," she said weakly, looking down at the floor. Derek didn't say anything, just gave her a look to let her know that she wasn't quite forgiven just yet. She bit the inside of her lower lip anxiously, she hated disappointing people that she cared about. She seemed to be doing it more and more often these days. Alec cleared his throat, the awkward silence too much for him to bare.

 "I don't think Allison will be trying anything like that again, will you Allison?" He said, Allison just shook her head no. "I'll take you to your room so you can drop your stuff." He said to Stiles, walking away as Stiles followed. Allison waited until they were out of earshot before whispering to Derek.

 "What are we going to do about... that?" She asked, thinking better of actually saying the words. Werewolf hearing could be such a pain in the ass.

"I don't know. It might be nothing, just leave it to me. I'll sort it," Derek responded, his expression grave. She could understand this was hard for him, no one liked to think that someone they classed as a friend; a good friend, could betray them.

 "It could be nothing? I'm sorry bu-" Derek cut her off abruptly.

"They're coming back. I said I'll sort it," His tone signaled that that was the end of the conversation. "Thanks for letting us stay here." Derek said to Alec as they returned.

 "No problem, man. We gotta have each other's backs in situations like this," Alec said, Allison had to bite her tongue to keep from asking why, if that was the case, he was sneaking around with resurrected enemies. Derek had said he would sort it and she had to trust him, he was the Alpha here. And she guessed even without being a werewolf she was technically a part of his pack, which meant she had to respect his wishes. She pursed her lips, linking her hands in front of her as she waited for someone to break the silence.

 "Hey, where's a good take out around here? I'm starving," _Thank you, Stiles and your insatiable hunger,_ Allison thought.

"You're always hungry, even like 10 minutes after you've just eaten. Are you sure you're not a werewolf?" Allison teased.

 "Nope, just a growing boy," Stiles responded, patting his stomach.

"You're still going to be using that excuse when you're forty," Derek chipped in, smiling at Stiles who chuckled in response. Allison smiled, she was glad they had each other. Stiles and Derek had both known a lot of pain in their lives, but they'd somehow managed to work it out enough to be together. Stiles had always had Scott of course, but it wasn't the same. It was Derek she'd been especially surprised at, she didn't think he'd open up to anyone ever again, not after Kate. But he'd somehow found it in himself to open his heart to this hyperactive, smartass kid who he had always professed was kind of a pain in his ass. Scott had found it a little weird, but only because it was Derek and it was Stiles. Over the past few months they had only gotten closer, she just wished Scott was around to see it.

 "Uh, Milano's is pretty good and it's only a few blocks away," Alec responded.

"Sweet, you coming Allison?" Stiles asked, looking over at her. She figured this was as good of a time as any, if she and Stiles were out of the way then Derek could talk to Alec about earlier. She shot Derek a quick look, he gave her an almost imperceptible nod in response; just to let her know that he was on her wavelength.

 "Sure, I'm pretty hungry," She agreed, slinging her bag over her shoulder. They wrote down the other's orders and headed out in Stiles's beaten up blue Jeep.

"So, are you going to tell me what that was about?" Stiles asked as they pulled onto the main street.

 "What what was about?" Allison asked, Stiles looked at her out of the corner of his eye.

"That in there. With the sneaky glances and nodding," She couldn't help but laugh, Stiles literally didn't miss a trick. She supposed it came with the territory, being the Sheriff's son and all. Something suddenly dawned on her, if he was asking what it was about Derek couldn't have told him about Ennis. If he had he wouldn't have had to ask about it. But why? Had he just not been able to find the right way of telling him or was he purposely keeping it from him? She decided she wouldn't mention it just in case it was the latter.

 "Nodding and secret glances?" She grinned, raising an eyebrow at him.

"I saw you. You looked over at Derek and Derek did a kind of... nod," his brows furrowed, with confusion or frustration she wasn't sure. Maybe even both.

 "I looked at Derek, yes. But there was no nodding," she said, keeping her tone light and teasing.

"But I saw..." his words trailed off and he shook his head.

 "I think you're probably just being paranoid. I mean, I don't blame you with everything that's happened lately. We're all on edge," She felt bad for doing this to him, he looked like he felt really bad for thinking that they would be plotting behind his back. But Derek didn't keep things from them without good reason, maybe he didn't think Stiles could handle it for whatever reason. Allison didn't believe that that was true, she thought Derek sometimes underestimated how strong Stiles was. She understood that he wanted to protect him, but after everything Stiles had been through in his life she was sure he could handle just about anything now.

 "You're right, I'm sorry. I'm just..." He didn't need to finish his sentence, because Allison was feeling pretty 'just' herself lately. She just nodded and gave him a sort of sympathetic smile; the corners of Stiles' mouth twitched upwards momentarily in what she assumed was thanks.

 "Hey, I think I see it," Allison said, pointing towards Milano's at the end of the street. Stiles' stomach growled loudly at the sight of the place, Allison looked over at him and laughed; Stiles started to laugh too. And for a second everything almost felt normal.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Derek was anxious, he didn't like the thought of what he had to do at all. Alec had been a good friend to him through the years and the thought of him feeding information to the enemy sickened him. He didn't even feel anger, he just felt betrayed. He had shrugged it off as nothing with Allison because he didn't want to worry her further, but he knew how bad this was. He knew that just by being here he was putting them all in danger, but there was just that spark of hope in him that thought he might have misread the situation. He knew it was stupid but he clung to the idea anyway, after all he didn't have many friends left these days. Or maybe he didn't like to think that the wool had been pulled over his eyes again.

  "Something wrong, Derek?" Alec asked. Derek was glad that he'd given him an opening because he had been sat wondering how the hell he was going to broach the subject. He took a deep breath to steady himself.

 "Actually yes," he said, a brief look of panic crossed over Alec's face.

"What is it?" Alec asked neutrally, but Derek could hear the irregular thump of his heart.

 "I think you know," Derek said, looking Alec dead in the eyes. He saw something, fear or panic, flash in his eyes although it lasted less than a second.

"I'm not sure I do," Alec replied evenly. But Derek heard the way his heart stuttered, saw the way his pupils dilated. Oh, he knew alright. And his refusal to just come out with it only confirmed what Derek had feared all along, he was up to no good.

 "Do you know what the best and worst thing about being a werewolf is?" Derek asked.

"The satisfaction of walking into a gym and knowing you can bench at least ten times more than any of the assholes in there?" Alec asked, Derek chuckled darkly and Alec joined in.

 "No," he replied, serious again now. Alec's laughter cut off abruptly. "No. It's knowing when you're being lied to." Alec took a deep breath, his heart thumping faster.

"What do you mean?" Alec asked, he tried to conceal his fear but Derek heard the way his voice quivered.

 "Just come off it, Alec. I don't have time to screw around," Derek warned, letting his eyes flash red.

"Derek, I promise it's not what you think," Alec said, looking at him with pleading eyes.

 "If it's not what I think then what is it exactly? Cos it seems to me that I've had a gigantic fucking knife stuck in my back by one of my best friends," Derek felt his anger rising, felt the dull ache of his fingernails extending into claws. The pain of the transformation used to be much greater but through the years he had grown used to it. He took deep breaths until he felt his claws retract as he got his anger back under control. Alec's eyes darted around the room nervously, sweat beading on his forehead.

 "No, I swear to god that's not what this is about. You've got it all wrong, I'm still on your side Derek. I swear," his voice had turned pleading and Derek found himself actually believing him.

 "You better start talking. Now," Derek said menacingly, he noticed Alec was actually shaking. Whatever he'd gotten himself into it must be really bad, he'd never seen Alec this scared before and they'd been through some pretty horrifying things together. Alec hesitated, chewing on his lower lip. "Alec, talk. Now. Who brought Ennis back?" Derek's voice was almost a growl. Alec hesitated a moment longer before finally relenting. He had an apologetic look on his face that told him he wasn't going to like the answer.

 "It's Jennifer, Derek," he spoke carefully. Derek sucked in a sharp breath, feeling like he'd just been punched in the gut. He suddenly felt dizzy, he squeezed his eyes shut until the feeling passed.

 "Jennifer?" Derek repeated in disbelief. He should have known better than to think that would have actually been the end of her. He couldn't explain the feeling that was suddenly overwhelming him. He had loved Jennifer once and he wondered if that ever really went away, could you really just unlove somebody? He supposed it was there somewhere, buried among the burning hatred that now consumed him when he thought of her. His heart felt heavy, he was never usually aware that his heart was there but now it seemed to be weighing him down.

 "I'm sorry, Derek. I should have told you, it's just I didn't-" Derek could see how truly sorry he was, after all he'd known how bad the Jennifer situation had cut him up. In a way Jennifer betraying him had felt worse than with Kate, given that he'd opened his heart to her after vowing to never trust another woman again. But Jennifer had seemed so normal, so innocent and he'd fallen for her hard and fast.

 "No, I get it. You don't have to apologize. That's... not important right now. I just need to know what the hell is happening," Because even though the room felt like it was closing in on him the only thing that mattered right now was keeping everyone safe.

 "She's here to finish what she started, she wants all of you dead for what you did to her. She's building some sort of army of Alphas, the strongest Alphas. She's not screwing around this time," Alec said gravely. Derek knew better now than to underestimate Jennifer, it was obvious that she had far more power than he had originally thought. What was he supposed to do? The only way they'd made it out alive last time was because they had Deucalion on side, and now Deucalion was undeniably the enemy. There would be no temporary alliance formed between them this time.

 "So where do you fit into all of this?" Derek asked, the look on Alec's face told him that he'd obviously thought that he was off the hook.

"Where else? She needed me for information. As long as I'm giving her information she'll keep me alive," Alec's skin took on a grey tinge at the mere thought of what torturous end Jennifer would rain down on him. "What are we going to do Derek?" There were tears in his eyes, tears of a desperate man. Derek hated seeing him this way, because Alec was a lot like him in many ways and to see him so weak and vulnerable made him feel the same way.

 "We have to get to Deucalion before Jennifer does. It's the only way," If Derek could kill Deucalion before Jennifer got to any of them Derek would have immense power at his disposal. That was actually something Deucalion himself had taught him, if you kill an Alpha you then have whatever power they have in their possession. It was the only way they could pull this off, and even then it was going to be tough. Really tough. "You're going to throw them off our scent by giving them false information. Keep it believable." Alec nodded along silently suddenly looking much more confident than he had five minutes ago.

 "Okay. I can do that," he agreed, color returning to his skin.

"Yeah you can, if you want to stay alive you kind of have to," Derek wasn't saying it to be an asshole, he had to make sure that Alec was aware of the reality of the situation. Alec gulped but otherwise he never said a word. At that moment Stiles and Allison returned and the smell of take out filled the apartment.

 "I hope everyone's hungry," Allison laughed as her and Stiles placed a mountain of food on the side. "I still can't believe how much you ordered, I swear this amount of food would feed at least forty people," She said, shaking her head at Stiles. Derek looked and had to agree, that was a whole lot of food.

 "Quit complaining and come help me get the rest from the car," Stiles said after sticking his tongue out at her.

"What? Stiles, you're kidding right? We won't even get through what's here!" Derek said in disbelief. Stiles just blinked at him and looked over at the food mountain.

 "Speak for yourself, buddy," He replied, grinning. Derek scoffed and shook his head.

"There can't be so much more that you require assistance. What the hell, Stiles?" Derek said, he wondered if it was possible to actually burst from overeating. He supposed he was about to find out. "I'm not cleaning you off the walls." He mumbled, grabbing a napkin and a slice of pizza. Stiles just gave him a confused look and headed out of the door with Allison in tow.

 "That's some appetite he's got," Alec laughed.

"You have no idea. It's a good job he's not a werewolf, I dread to think what that would do to his metabolism," Derek replied, making Alec chuckle. He laughed and grabbed another slice, shaking his head. "You better start eating if you plan on seeing any of the food." Alec took his word for it and grabbed a piece just as a bloodcurdling scream ripped through the air. They looked at each other with wide eyes, springing into action. That was Allison screaming, Derek's heart hammered in his chest. They got outside to see no sign of Stiles or Allison, his heart plummeted when he noticed Stiles on the ground. _Please just be unconscious, please,_ was all he could think as he ran over.

 "Stay with him, I'll go after them," Alec said, his face ashen. Derek nodded, turning back to Stiles as Alec darted off into the night. Derek started shaking Stiles fervently.

"Come on Stiles! Please wake up, wake up!" He pleaded, resorting to slapping Stiles in the face. Consider it payback for the amount of times Stiles had punched him in the face to bring him round. He couldn't lose him, he had to wake up, he didn't know what he'd do without him. In fact he'd go as far as to say Stiles was the only reason he was still here at all. "Stiles, wake up dammit!" He hit him again, harder this time. His heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was about to burst free from his chest. This scenario was all too familiar, he couldn't help but think he'd already lost him. "Stiles!" He yelled, shaking him harder. He saw Stiles' eyelids squeeze shut as he groaned, Derek let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. Stiles started to pull himself up carefully on his elbows, a dazed expression on his face. Derek helped him get into an upright position. "Are you... Are you hurt? What happened?" Derek asked, checking him over for any obvious signs of injury.

 "Is my nose bleeding? Did you punch me in the face!?" Stiles almost yelled, wiping the blood from his nose. Even though he shouldn't Derek laughed at that, probably just with relief, because Stiles was definitely okay. Derek flung his arms around him, holding him close.

 "I'm never letting you out of my sight again," he said, still trying to catch his breath.

"You have always said my death would be food related," Stiles quipped, making Derek laugh. "Wait a minute... Where's Allison?" Stiles yelled all of a sudden, his eyes scanning everywhere as he jumped to his feet crying out her name. In the midst of everything that had just happened Derek had momentarily forgot all about Allison. His gut twisted with guilt and worry, he couldn't believe he'd forgotten her. Stiles continued to call out for her, Derek put a hand on his shoulder.

 "Stiles, Stiles! You're not going to do any good. Alec's gone after them," Derek said, looking into Stiles' panic stricken eyes.

"What?! This is all my fault, what was I thinking!?" Stiles burst out, fists in his hair as he paced.

 "Hey, don't you dare do that! This is not your fault, we're gonna get her back I promise," Derek said sternly. "Come on, lets get you inside. Go get you cleaned up," he said, looking at Stiles' muddy, blood spattered clothes and leading him towards the apartment.

 "They took her, Derek. They took Allison," Stiles choked out, his deep brown eyes shimmering with unshed tears. Derek didn't need to ask who, he knew who it was, the twins. Derek couldn't wait to get his hands on those bastards after all they'd put them through.

 "I know," Derek said quietly, going through to the guest room to grab some clean clothes for Stiles. He returned to see Stiles looking at him with a dumbfounded expression on his face. "What?"

 "Allison is missing and all you can say is 'I know'? Seriously!?" Stiles said, his mouth open in shock.

"Believe me, I'm worried. I've been worried ever since... Ever since Scott died," It was still hard for Derek to say the words out loud, and he could tell from the look on Stiles' face it was still hard for him to hear. But not talking about it wouldn't change anything, it wouldn't bring him back. It would only eat away at them, drive them crazy. They couldn't exactly go for the rest of their lives without saying his name, that would just be an insult to Scott's memory. "But if there's one thing that I've learned through all of this it's that freaking out is unproductive. There are things we can't change, Stiles. We can only try our hardest, fight with our dying breath for the right thing. Alec is out there, tracking her down. I'm here protecting you, that's all we can do."

 "I don't need protecting," Stiles argued, giving Derek a disapproving look. Derek just grinned and raised an eyebrow.

 "Oh really? Cos you were doing a really good job of protecting yourself while you were laid out unconscious in that alley five minutes ago," he teased, Stiles narrowed his eyes as though he was angry at the comment but Derek saw the corners of his mouth twitching. "Go clean yourself up." He said with a laugh, handing Stiles the fresh clothes he had just fetched. Stiles looked down at the clothes and then back up at Derek with a puzzled expression.

 "Seriously, those pants with that shirt?" He asked as if the though of it was completely absurd, Derek burst out laughing.

"Seriously? That's your concern right now?" He asked, unable to stop himself from grinning.

 "Fine, but you're the one who has to be seen with me. Like out in public, in front of everybody," Stiles replied, standing up and heading towards the bathroom.

"I'll try to get past it," Derek answered sarcastically as Stiles closed the bathroom door behind him. Stiles returned fifteen minutes on looking clean and slightly more refreshed, heading over to the kitchen and grabbing a pizza box. He placed it on the coffee table in front of them and grabbed a slice. Derek chuckled silently, there was literally nothing that could put him off his food for long. He looked down at the pizza, a queasy feeling coming over him at the thought of eating it. He obviously didn't have Stiles' stomach of steel. He just sat back and watched in amazement as Stiles trenched his way through the entire pizza almost without pausing for breath. Once he'd finished he fell back against the couch, making a sound of contentment as he rubbed his stomach.

 "That is so much better," he said, putting his hands behind his head and staring up at the ceiling before closing his eyes. Derek smiled, he looked happy. Even just for this moment everything was good and he supposed that's all you could really hope for. Little happy moments with the ones you loved, Derek knew better than most people how important it was to cherish these little moments. He reached over and stroked Stiles' cheek, Stiles opened his eyes and looked over at Derek smiling. Derek leaned in and pressed his lips to Stiles', it still shocked him how much this affected him. His palms were clammy, his heart thumping. He could hear Stiles' hammering heart and he reached out, pressing his hand over it, feeling it pulsating against his palm. They broke away, laying back against the couch. "Kisses and pizza? Is it my birthday?" Stiles joked, getting a chuckle from Derek in response.

 "You sure you don't want to get started on the other 15 that you brought along?" Derek grinned.

"Okay, so I made an error in judgement. But in my defense I really couldn't decide what I wanted," Stiles laughed.

"Next time we get take out I'm going," Derek answered, just as the door burst open to reveal a bedraggled looking Allison dragging a bloody and very still Alec into the room.


	4. Chapter Four

"What happened?!" Derek yelled as he sprang from his seat, taking Alec from Allison and carrying him over to the couch. Stiles stood up and moved away, his mouth agape as he stared in horror at Alec.

 "Ethan got him. Is he going to be okay!?" Allison asked, her voice almost a shriek. Tears raced down her pale face as she stared wide eyed at Alec's still form. The scene was all too familiar to all of them, though no one said this out loud.

 "I don't know," Derek admitted with a grimace. He tore off Alec's shirt, using it to soak up the black sludge pouring from the wound. "I need alcohol. Stiles, pass me that Vodka." He ordered, Stiles staggered silently to the other side of the room to retrieve the bottle. Derek grabbed it from him pouring it on the wound, Allison winced and turned away as Alec's body convulsed with the pain. "Allison, grab me a couple of towels. Stiles, there's a first aid kit in my bag." Both of them nodded, rushing off to other ends of the apartment. Allison returned, passing the towels to Derek and moving away. He poured alcohol onto one, wiping at the wound. Stiles returned and Derek opened the first aid kit, removing thread, a needle and a lighter. He lit the lighter, running the needle through the flame a couple of times before threading it and getting to work sewing up the wound almost professionally. Allison watched in equal parts horror and fascination as he stitched the wound tight, wiping each gouge with the alcohol soaked towel as he finished up. It seemed to go on forever although in reality it couldn't have been more than a few minutes. No one spoke a word, just watched in silent prayer as Derek finished stitching him up.

 "That's it?" Allison spoke up when the silence became insufferable. He did look like he was starting to improve already, she was well aware that a wound inflicted by an Alpha took much longer to heal. But the fact that he still hadn't woken up was what was worrying her, when she looked over at his still form her heart started to palpitate. He'd saved her life and here she was, unable to return the favor. Unable to do anything but stand here and just pray to whichever God would listen that he'd recover. She was tired of this, the fact that yet again she felt like nothing more than a helpless little girl when she was meant to be a skilled huntress made her sick to her stomach. What was the point, was she just kidding herself by thinking that she could live up to her family name? After all, what good had it done her - or anyone else - so far? Tears blurred her vision and she wiped furiously at them. This was her problem, had always been her problem, her emotions got the better of her every time.

 "For now that's all we can do," Derek responded, his lips pressed together in a hard line. Stiles walked over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder and squeezing it in a consoling gesture. Allison suddenly felt choked, all the air in the room seemed like it had just disappeared. She started to head toward the door without a word when Derek suddenly appeared in front of her, blocking the door. "Where do you think you're going?" He said, a crease appearing between his eyebrows.

 "I need some air. I was just going to take a walk," Allison said weakly, her skin suddenly felt burning hot and itchy and she found herself wishing she could just pull it off.

"And you think under the current circumstances that would be a good idea. Considering your last little outing resulted in Alec's condition who by the way is still laid unconscious, and possibly dying, on that couch right behind us?" Derek said, with possibly a little too much venom injected into his words. His words hit Allison like a physical blow and she had to catch herself as she stumbled slightly. She knew he didn't mean it the way it came out, but she couldn't help feeling like all of this was her fault. "I'm sorry, Allison, but until I can be sure nothing will happen to any of you I'm not letting you out of my sight." He folded his arms, leaning against the door as he stared at her as if daring her to challenge his word. Furious tears burned in her eyes, she felt like a prisoner. She knew in her rational mind that what Derek was saying made perfect sense but she wasn't feeling particularly rational right now. But she also wasn't about to fight with one of her best friends, she heaved a sigh and headed into Alec's bedroom. Maybe once she'd slept she'd feel better.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Sleep didn't coming easily and even when she managed to doze off it was fitful, plagued with nightmares. She gave up around 3am and headed through to the lounge to make herself a coffee. She sat by Alec on the couch wishing there was something, anything, she could do. He looked so peaceful at that moment, if she ignored the wound that was still seeping black sludge slowly through the gauze then she would believe that he was just sleeping. She had felt heavy with guilt all day for ever questioning his loyalty. She hadn't exactly had time to talk to Derek about it but she figured if they were still here and Alec was still alive then she had got the situation wrong. She knew that if Derek wasn't 110% sure that he was on their side, one way or another, he wouldn't be here right now.

 "I'm sorry," she whispered, hoping that he could hear her. Because she was, for everything. For involving him in all of this, for questioning where his allegiance lied, for almost getting him killed. If only... If only she'd have been stronger, then she could have protected him. If she'd been stronger then she wouldn't have been taken at all and this whole situation would have been avoided. The little voice was back, whispering at the back of her mind. _All your fault, all your fault..._ She needed to get some air but she knew that Derek was right and it definitely wasn't safe for her to be roaming around in the middle of the night alone right now. She lifted up the large bay window, climbing out onto the fire escape. It seemed that this would be her only form of sanctuary for the time being. She inhaled the crisp night air, instantly feeling a little better. She liked the night, everything was so calm. You could almost believe that there was nothing bad happening when it was this peaceful. After a while she headed back inside to grab a blanket to keep the chill off, she refilled her coffee and headed back towards the fire escape. When she got to the window she heard movement behind her and froze. She was hesitant to turn around, scared of what she might see. She turned around slowly to find Alec struggling into an upright position, pain contorting his face. "Alec!" She exclaimed, relief flooding through her. She rushed over to him, helping him to sit up. "Should I go get Derek?" Allison felt panic rising in her chest, she never knew how to deal with these kinds of situations; even though she had been involved in enough of them that she should be a professional.

 "No, no it's fine. No need to bother him," he said, his voice gruff as though it was painful for him to even speak.

"Can I get you anything?" She asked, watching him carefully as though he might break.

 "Water," Alec croaked, rubbing his throat and wincing. Allison nodded, standing up and rushing to bring him a bottle of water. He drank it as though he'd been in the desert for a week. "Thanks." He said as he finished the bottle, sounding and looking a lot happier for the refreshment.

 "No problem. How are you feeling?" She asked, taking the empty bottle from him and placing it in the garbage can.

"Like I had a giant ass Alpha's claws stuck through my gut," he responded with a wry grin.

"Stupid question," Allison said, smiling sheepishly.

 "Maybe a little," he admitted, a teasing smirk on his face.

"I'm sorry," Allison said, averting her eyes guiltily.

 "What for?" Alec asked, his eyebrows furrowed.

"For... This," She gestured to him.

 "Allison, this wasn't your fault. I'm pretty sure you didn't intend to get kidnapped," He answered, looking a little offended that she would even think that way.

"Well no, but..."

 "No buts. I did what I had to do to protect you. In fact _I'm_ sorry, I shouldn't have let you go out there without me or Derek," he said, looking at her seriously.

"Don't be silly, you saved my life. You have nothing to apologize for. You barely know me and you came after me anyway. You could have just left me, you owe me nothing," Allison protested, shocked that he'd even think he should apologize. He just nodded and gave her a half smile to acknowledge the unspoken apology. He started to get to his feet and Allison rushed to his aid. "No, you stay here. What do you need?"

 "That's sweet but there are some things you can't do for me," He said, pushing himself up.

"No really, it's fine. Just tell me what you need," she protested.

 "I need to use the bathroom," he answered, raising an eyebrow and grinning.

"Oh. Uh, okay," Allison felt her cheeks heating up and she sat back down.

 "I'm fine, really. You don't need to worry about me," Alec chuckled.

"Yeah well, I don't need to have a second slice of chocolate cake but I'm going to have it anyway," She joked, making Alec laugh. He hobbled through to the bathroom and Allison sat on the edge of her seat the entire time just in case he needed her. "I think your bandages may need changing." Allison noted, trying to hide her distaste as she eyed the soaked gauze. Alec looked down at his stomach and wrinkled his nose as though he hadn't even realized it before she'd pointed it out to him. He shot her an apologetic smile, Allison laughed and grabbed the first aid kit. "Changing your bandages is the least I can do," she said, patting the couch next to her. He walked over gingerly, laying back against the couch. Allison peeled away the bandages, trying her hardest to keep a neutral expression on her face. She thought she was doing a pretty good job. She grabbed a towel and poured some alcohol to cleanse the wound. She saw his face scrunch up as the alcohol first touched the slash, a hiss escaping his lips. Allison flinched, pulling the towel away and holding her hands in the air as she apologized profusely.

 "No, it's fine. Carry on," he assured her, it looked to Allison like he was enjoying her distress more than he should have. She took him at his word and began wiping the wounds gently. Alec watched attentively, the initial sting clearly having worn off. The wound looked ten times better than it had this morning, much to her relief. She disinfected the wound thoroughly before applying the fresh bandages.

 "There we go, all done!" Allison announced as she admired her handiwork. It wasn't as impressive as Derek's stitching obviously but she was proud nonetheless.

"Thank you," Alec responded as he put his shirt back on. "What are you doing up so early anyway?"

 "I couldn't sleep," Allison shrugged.

"Why what's wrong?" Allison scoffed at that.

 "I think the list might be shorter if you asked what was okay right now," she remarked.

"It'll all work out, you know," Alec said in an attempt to console her.

 "You don't know that. This time tomorrow we could all be dead. Hell, we almost were today," Allison countered, earning a scowl from Alec.

"I would die before I let anything happen to you, or any of the others. Didn't today prove that to you?" Allison ignored the warmth that spread through her chest as he said that; _I would die before I let anything happen to you._

 "Exactly, but what if that happens? What if you're not as lucky next time?" Allison asked.

"You don't have to worry about me. I've gotten this far on my own," Alec said sternly.

 "But I'm guessing there haven't been many situations quite this severe thus far," Allison raised her eyebrow at him.

"Maybe not. But I can handle myself, and I don't have to in this case," He shrugged, Allison just sighed. The sleep that had eluded her earlier suddenly consumed her, and she was finding it almost impossible to keep her eyes open. She hadn't realized just how much of a part Alec's condition had played in her sleep deprivation, hadn't known she cared about him enough to lose sleep over it. "Maybe you should go get some sleep," Alec commented.

 "Yeah, I guess," Allison agreed, a yawn escaping her mouth. She started for the bedroom, stopping just before she reached the door. "Hey, Alec?" She turned back around to find him already watching her, a slow blush crept into her cheeks.

 "Yeah?"

"I'm really glad you're okay," she admitted, he didn't say anything in return, just gave her a small smile and nodded. She smiled, turning back around and entering the bedroom. This time she fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.


End file.
